


Starry Eyed

by TheMomeRath



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Afterlife, Alternate Canon, Children, F/M, Innuendo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2014-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-12 19:57:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2122707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMomeRath/pseuds/TheMomeRath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hiccup has spent his whole life under the same stars- they live on even while all else fades away. When he was a child, he reached for them and cursed at them, but as he grew older, he realized he would someday take his place amongst them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Starry Eyed

**Author's Note:**

> My attempt at afterlife mythos- not at all Norse, but my own imagining of a new set.

When he was ten, Hiccup prayed to the gods. Staring up at the night sky, he looked through to the heavens, pleading.

"The boy’s and girls don’t treat me the same. I’m not weak! I’m just small." He punched the air angrily with his tiny fists, but let his arms drop to his sides as he sighed frustratedly. "I can’t fight back. It’s not like they hurt me, I just… I’m nothing compared to them." Eyes searched the stars. "And then there’s my dad. He’s huge! I’m nothing compared to him."

He sat down quickly and picked at the grass. “I know you’re all up there. Do something- make me stronger. Or at least make everyone forget that I’m not strong.”

* * *

 

When he was fourteen, he stared at the sky for a different reason. He knew it would work this time. He would kill a dragon for sure. “Come on, come on…”

He scanned back and forth across the dark night, pointing his weapon at anything that he thought might move.

So many times before, he hadn’t quite hit a dragon. He’d managed to ensnare his own father once, and testing his weapon caused more than a few tangles with Gobber, but he was determined.  _I know I can do it this time._

A flash of light caught his attention, and he followed it from its source.  _This is it._  He braced himself, prepared for a malfunction in the machine, but when he took aim and fired, he was overjoyed to see that it fired correctly- and surprised when he saw a creature, almost black against the night sky, plummet from the night sky to crash into the far side of his island.

“I hit it.” He stepped back, shocked. “I did it! I hit a Night Fury!” Dancing joyously on the mountain, Hiccup knew something good would come out of it. He was absolutely sure.

* * *

 

Riding Toothless became one of his escapes- during the night, he snuck out past the edges of the village and mounted the enormous beast. Even after the island learned that dragons could be tamed, Hiccup still craved for the exhilaration of the wind rushing past him as he straddled the saddle on his friend’s back.

Of course, sometimes he was caught on his way out. Astrid knew her boyfriend well, and she could tell when he was getting restless, so she waited by Toothless, knowing that she wouldn’t wait long.

Toothless’ ears perked up as he heard Hiccup approaching. As Hiccup approached him, he was surprised by Astrid jumping over the dragon’s back. “Hey.” The blonde reclined against Toothless’ side, grinning. “Going for another ride tonight?”

Hiccup looked at his dragon friend. “So no warning she was here tonight, huh, buddy?” The dragon responded with an inquisitive tilt of the head, and Hiccup pet the fantastic beast’s obsidian-scaled neck. “Yeah, I am. I guess you noticed I needed a break.” He looked up at Astrid. “Hope you don’t mind.”

She shrugged. “You’ve done it a lot. I don’t see why it should bother me.” Before Hiccup jumped onto toothless’ back, she grabbed his arm. “Some night I want to come with you, though.” A smile crept onto her face. “LIke we did on our first flight, you know?” Letting go of him, she crossed her arms again. “Just so you know. For the future. I mean, you’re so busy with dragon training recently… We don’t have much time for just the two of us.”

Hiccup’s eyes searched her face for a couple of seconds before he spoke pensively. “Do you want to come with me tonight?” He looked back to Toothless. “I’m pretty sure he’s strong enough to carry two.”

Astrid arched an eyebrow at him. “Are you suggesting something about my weight?”

“NO! Of course not!” Hiccup raised his hands defensively. “I was just saying that two people are heavier than one…”

Astrid interrupted him with a laugh. “I know, dork. But if you’ll take me tonight, I’d love to come.” She kissed him quickly on the cheek and swung her leg up as she Jumped onto Toothless’ saddle. “So let’s go, then.”

Hiccup chortled quietly as he followed suit and sat in front of Astrid. “Hold on to me tightly and I’ll make sure Toothless doesn’t try to throw you off.” The dragon swung his big head toward Hiccup and squinted at him. “Hey, just making sure.”

“Maybe you should stop talking,” Astrid quipped and wrapped her arms around Hiccup’s waist.

“Maybe I should,” he sighed. “Ready, Toothless?”

As they flew across the waters, Toothless’ claws skimming the waters’ shimmering surface, Astrid laid her cheek against Hiccup’s shoulder. Hiccup felt the pressure on his back and smiled, remembering how much he missed having her close. Even if during the day they were rough with each other, once they were alone, it always became much more tender, and being alone wasn’t something they had done much as of late.

When they landed again, on the island Hiccup considered his second home that was just far enough away from Berk, their cuddles turned into less innocent touches.

Buckled unclasped, belts slipped from their hooks; tunics were tossed aside, and skirts and pants kicked away until skin pressed against bare skin.

Caresses upon caresses, kisses wandered down pale, dirty skin, leaving marks and touches of lingering heat. The pair slowly remembered what being this close was like- the tiny sounds and the rushes of sensation from head to toe and back again, the feeling of forever within three minutes- they both felt as though they were complete again, the tiny longing inside that had grown over weeks of overworked tiredness was replaced by satisfaction and relief.

Finally, when the flustered touches calmed to more relaxed cuddles once again, HIccup and Astrid lay under the bright starlight and watched as the moon crawled its way across the endless sky, Hiccup’s fur vest laying over them.

“I might have a couple bruises tomorrow,” Hiccup grunted as he adjusted his body to avoid a rock that felt like it was poking through the clothing underneath their naked bodies.

“Well, I can’t help being a bit energetic. Next time we shouldn’t wait this long.” Astrid lay a hand on Hiccup’s chest. “Thanks for letting me come with you.”

Hiccup smiled up into the night sky and ran a hand through her unbraided hair, “I’m glad you came.”

* * *

 

Time flew forward.

But time stops for everyone eventually.

* * *

 

Astrid looked up to the sky, her greying hair in a tight braid behind her. Her eyes twinkled like the pinholes of light in the night sky above.

“Look up at all those stars, Kekja,” Astrid whispered, her voice roughened by many long years. “Do you remember the legends about how the stars came to be?”

“Of course I do, mother. Father told me all about it on more than one night.”

Astrid nodded. “Ah, yes. He was the one who told me, too. Do you see those two stars clustered together, right next to the moon?”

Kekja squinted as she searched the sky. “I think so. You mean the ones that look like they’re almost touching?”

Again, the silver-haired woman nodded. “Those two stars are special. Your father and his best friend are up there, making light for all the rest of us.”

“Do you really think those stars belong to dad and his dragon?” The girl blinked the cold night air out of her eyes. “There couldn’t be any other two?”

“I know those two stars are theirs. They couldn’t be anyone else’s.”

The pair spent a few more minutes staring up at the sky, until Kekja finally made the decision that it was time for sleep. “Come on, mother, it’s time for sleep.”

“All right. Take good care of the boys tomorrow,” Astrid said, grimacing as she pushed her knobbed walking stick into the ground ahead of her. “I think I’ll be sleeping a bit longer than usual.”

“They’re both older than me! They’ll be just fine by themselves,” Kekja laughed, but her smile melted into a frown when she saw her mother’s pained expression. “Are you sure you’ll be okay? I can stay home with you if you want…”

“I’ll be just fine. I’m stronger than you think.” Astrid forced a smile onto her face. “Just get me to bed and don’t worry about me. You’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

Kekja smiled again. “All right. Whatever you want, mother.” She slowly helped the old woman to her bed and kissed the wrinkled forehead. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yes. Yes, you will…” Astrid trailed off, and within minutes, she was soundly asleep. Kekja closed the door behind her as she walked to her own bed.

A third star joined Hiccup and Toothless in the sky that night,a sparkling triangle of lovers and friends, and Astrid joined her husband in watching from the skies above as the island of Berk lived on.


End file.
